A Paypal IPN script is one that hooks into the back end of the Paypal payment process allowing you to run code when Paypal confirms that you have received a payment for a given product.
Where my script differs from all the other IPN script I have seen is that my script does not need a database in order for it to work. Instead of the script updating a database so that the buyer can gain access to a download page to download their purchase, my script instead just emails their purchase directly to them. This means that the script can handle eCheck payments easily where the payment takes several days to clear as the product will be emailed when the payment clears.
The addition of the extensions module adds the ability for the script to interact with a database. The module logs all of the purchases in a table in the database as well as moving the product definitions from the config file into the database. It also allows you to add the facility for provide free product upgrades for a specified period the way I provide twelve months of upgrades free with the purchase of my scripts.
The latest version also allows you to send an email asking for confirmation of the purchase before sending the product in order to help reduce the possibility of people buying your product and then getting Paypal to refund them their money.
Paypal IPN